The victory improved the Aggies to 6-2 on the season. The win also guaranteed UC Davis will finish with a winning record for the 32nd consecutive season, an NCAA Division II record. Sacramento State fell to 2-6 on the season.

Sacramento State squandered its best scoring chances in the game’s opening quarter, fumbling three times in Aggie territory, including one fumble at the UC Davis 1-yard line. The Aggies finally took advantage of the Hornets’ miscues with 1:57 remaining in the first quarter, breaking open a scoreless tie by scoring on a 22-yard touchdown pass from J.T. O’Sullivan to Trae Milton to give UC Davis a 6-0 lead.

UC Davis placekicker Cortney Williams gave the Aggies a 9-0 lead with 11:23 left in the second quarter by hitting a 42-yard field goal. The team extended its advantage to 17-0 six minutes later when O’Sullivan connected with Charley Enos on a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Aggies proceeded to take a commanding 24-0 lead with :32 left before halftime when Matt Massari scored on a five-yard touchdown run.

The Aggies put the game out of reach with 3:01 left in the third quarter when Michael Oliva hauled in a 47-yard touchdown pass from O’Sullivan to give UC Davis an insurmountable 30-0 lead.

UC Davis padded its cushion in the fourth quarter, as Enos scored on a three-yard touchdown run and Jason Holleman scampered 51 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring for the Aggies.

O’Sullivan connected passes to nine different receivers and finished the game by completing 16-of-24 for 253 yards and three touchdowns to lead the aerial attack for the Aggies. Massari gained 119 yards on 19 carries to lead a UC Davis rushing attack that netted 278 yards on the ground.

Sacramento State quarterback Ryan Leadingham completed 11-of-19 passes for 128 yards, while running back Kendall Riley lead all Hornet rushers with 91 yards on 16 carries.

The shutout at the hands of the Aggies marks the first time since 1979 since Sacramento State has been blanked twice in one season, as it also lost to Montana 20-0 earlier this year. The Hornets also tied a school record with its seven turnovers, and the 43-point loss to UC Davis was their worst at the hands of the Aggies since a 51-6 setback in 1982.

Sacramento State will look to rebound next week as it travels to Cal State Northridge. The game against the Matadors could possibly mark the final time the two schools will meet. Earlier this year, CSN recommended that the football program be terminated at the end of the 2001 season. The game will kickoff at 1:05 p.m.

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